The War Economy
by Mr. Anderson-Welcome Back
Summary: Told by Catherine Halsey to some spooks (cut part of/intro of Halo 4). This is how the Mantis walking tank became widely used by the UNSC and its contingencies in 2556, taking place during the years the Master Chief was in cryogenic stasis... "They never told you? What else they were developing on Reach?"
With a look of confusion, Halsey remarked, "What are you after...? The others before you were Naval Intelligence, but you... you're something else..." The man responded, taking the interrogation into a new direction, "Now, these walking tanks... These... 'Mantis Walkers'... We didn't know about them until a few years ago, my partner," the young man slightly head nodded in the other's direction, "received raw footage of them passed down from an 'A. J. Johnson,' a well known and respected sergeant major that died during the Battle of Installation 00-" Halsey interrupted him in a tone of casual-professional disregard, "Young man, what does this sergeant major have to do with emmy/em SPARTANS, and what is ONI doing sending you two to give me a history lesson on things I already know?" These already-known things consisted mostly of and around the SPARTAN Project, and other projects involving those super soldiers and- "Ah! I do recall to what you're drawing conclusions, and, trust me, I can draw them much faster than you." For greater emphasis, she contorted a sly smirk towards them. The younger of the two had a look of defeat. She was certainly an alpha, if not _the_ alpha, of her department. She could easily command a room, and, just as she did to the one before her, bring a spook to insecurity.

The man spoke up, trying to put her in her place, "Damn it, Halsey, focus! Where did the Mantis come from? Who developed it?" His face was hidden almost completey, but one could tell he looked flustered and confused. Did she not know? Compelled, he asked more curiously than before, "They didn't tell you, aside from your precious SPARTANs, what _else_ they were developing on Reach with Misriah?"

Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, her mouth agape, Halsey replied, "Well, not exactly... I mean, it's ONI... They've rarely told us anything outside our fields of—"

"Did they tell you or not!?" Her face changed from one of confusion to one of frustration, as did the _his_ tone of voice. He slammed his fist on the table, and shouted, "Stop fucking around!" His tone instantly shifted back again to a soft spoken one, "and tell us what you know, please."

A silence shrouded the small room for a minute...

"Okay. You want answers?"

Impatience caused the young one to interrupt, "No, we want you to explain..."

He turned around and grabbed a huge pile of files and folders full of papers, delicately placing them on the table, loosely organizing whilst explaining, "These..."

"The Patriots... How did you...?" She uttered almost inaudibly. They were ancient documents and photographs from deep within the ONI archives.

Photographs... they haven't been made since the late 21st century at the latest, and some of these were in black-and-white.

"Originally called 'the Philosophers,' they controlled the United States in the majority of the 20th century and early 21st century." He referred to a photograph of the original Philosophers, "A culmination of the world's then-greatest and wealthiest minds."

"H-how... did you get these...?" They all stared in awe at the ancient photographs and documents for a moment, then she stared at them with disbelief. This only amused them.

"hehehe... Oh miss, I don't expect you to understand, for I know things ONI only dreams of knowing, and I don't even work with them!" Halsey seemed quite humored by that fact.

After a brief pause of disbelief on the men's parts, the gruff man grabbed the other and quickly exited the room, entering another with a wall being a see-through mirror, their boss standing in the back with a very unamused look aggressively gritting a Cubano brand cigar between his overbite. He turned to his subordinate and said, "Frankly, son, I must say, it was a mistake to hire you for this interrogation; I need answers, and I'm getting a history lesson! She's dismantling your nerve with surgical precision as well," his eyes and words seemed to pierce his soul. The older man continued, "so I want you, SPARTAN, to go in there and go to work." The massive, ironclad soldier said nothing, only nodding and briskly going forth. The gruff man started to follow, but was stopped by his superior, "No, I need you to take a break and watch Tin Man there go to work."

"But sir, it's one of her creations."

With a tired look, the man with the cigar turned his head directly to the man, "Not anymore. He's ONI's now."

"He's a weapon, not an interrogator!"

"Calm down, son. You'd be truly surprised by what all these monsters can do." A smile crept over his face, and a sly snicker slept out, eagerly anticipating Halsey's breaking.


End file.
